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Hello, welcome to a Taste of Japan!

Over the next two weeks, we will spend some time in Tokyo and surrounding areas trying out local and popular street foods and reviewing various aspects of it here on our blog. The four authors of this blog are all Canadians who will be traveling to Japan for the very first time. We will be keeping in mind our Western cultural lens when writing about our experiences, in order to minimize biases that we may impose. In recent years, Japanese culture has had major influences into North American society, with food being one of the most prominent. Our research will look at aspects such as etiquette, convenience, quality, cost, cultural significance, among other things relating to Japanese street food. The most common form of "street food" in Canada is found in the form of food trucks that drive around major cities and park themselves to sell food during events and festivals. Among these, the majority of the street foods in Canada are deep fried, and if not deep fried, they can be categorized as generally unhealthy. Furthermore, due to recent trends in Canada, food trucks have been gearing towards healthier on-the-go options. However, street food is not something that is not always readily available in Alberta, where our four authors are currently living, but rather seasonal. We are interested to see whether or not this trend is present in Japan, and what the attitudes surrounding the trends might be.

The main areas that we will be visiting are popular tourist and historical locations, including Shinjuku, Harajuku, Kamakura, Hakone, and Yokohama. So what is the reasoning behind the popularity of street food in Japan? Is it because of the convenience and the reasonable pricing, or is it simply a result of foreign influence? This is something we will be able to determine through a participatory comparison of tourist hotspots and local favourites. We will be keeping in mind the type of consumer that each street food is being directed towards in each area. Our research so far suggests that the most popular street foods in Japan today are takoyaki (deep fried octopus), yakisoba (noodles), yakitori (chicken skewers), imagawayaki, (sweet bean buns), and crepes (no translation needed)!

We're also excited to learn how to eat street food! Does one use their hands, or chopsticks? Are you offered free toppings and condiments, or is the food eaten as it's prepared? We know it's improper to tip your server in a restaurant in Japan, so does the same rule apply to street vendors? We would also like to explore the attitudes around eating in public, and what is considered socially acceptable in that regard.

We're excited to share our experiences with you! Stay tuned for updates during our travels!

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Meet the authors:

Hey there, Alex here.  I'm a Student at the University of Calgary and have just completed the first year of my Communications and Media, and East Asia BA programs.  My current background is in Information Technology with a concentration in Information Security, however, after several years working in that industry, I decided it was time to do make a change and focus in on a different long time interest.  I’m extremely excited to be participating in this Group Study program, as I’ve wanted to travel to Japan for a very long time.

Japan, it’s history, culture, cuisine, and various other unique aspects have always been of great interest to me.  I’ve also been studying the Japanese language for the past year, so this trip will provide a great opportunity for me to test out what I’ve learned, and have daily exposure to it in a natural setting.  One of the most difficult things I’m anticipating is the limited amount of time we will have in Japan (two weeks is going to fly by at an astounding rate), so budgeting that time accordingly will be very important.  There are so many things to see and do, but I know I’m not going to be able to even scratch the surface of this experience rich country.

While I’m of course going to be digging into a (hopefully) large variety of foods for this blog, I’m also going to be individually researching the social attitudes surrounding geek/otaku culture and its influences, both foreign and domestic.

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Hi everyone, I'm Ashley! I am a fourth year Law and Society, and Sociology major at the University of Calgary. The focus of my degrees is on crime, deviance, and social control. That being said, I am very intrigued in learning about crime in Japan and different aspects surrounding their criminal justice system while I am over there, on top of obviously indulging in their different cuisines.

Outside of school some of my interests include fitness, yoga, dance, going out with friends, the list goes on. I love stepping outside of my comfort zone in terms of trying new things and meeting new people, and what better way to do that than traveling to a different part of the world. Recently, I have had a huge urge to travel and immerse myself in different cultures around the world. After our time in Japan I will be heading over to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia before return back home to Canada.

I have never been to Japan before but have always been very drawn to the culture and lifestyle there. When it comes to the food in Japan, I cannot wait to try everything that they have to offer, especially the street food. A very popular (and rather unusual) street food that I am very eager to try is Kare Pan. It is essentially a sweet dough, deep fried and filled with different savoury ingredients (yum!).

I am so excited that I have the chance to go over to Japan and be able to experience firsthand all that the country has to offer! I can’t wait to be able to share the experiences that I have over there with all of you!

Cheers,
Ashley


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Hi everyone! My name is Ivana Dokic. It wasn't exactly clear to me how descriptive or long this "introduction" is meant to be, but I will say a couple of things about myself! I am a third-year law and society major, and I am hoping to get accepted into the honours program for next year. I registered for this group-study as a hope of giving my summer travels some meaning, and getting a couple of electives out of the way while also embracing an environment very different from the one we have in Canada. I have an intense passion for art, in particular, I enjoy painting and drawing, and I teach dance to kids who are aged 10-15. Hopefully you're all having a good semester thus far and I'm looking forward to meeting you all!

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Hey everyone!

My name is Francesca. I am going into my fourth year of university, taking a major in Social and Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Italian Studies. As my degree will tell you, I love learning about different cultures, which is one of the main reasons why I chose to come to Japan. I am fascinated by their culture, society, media, and of course food! I can't wait to gain a first-hand experience of a culture that I have admired for so long. This will be my very first time visiting the East, and I could not be more excited!

Outside of university, I like to keep busy with my two jobs and my position as an executive member for a Catholic club on our university campus. I have been a ballet dancer for the majority of my life, so I am excited to see how important the arts are in Japan. My dad is a chef, so my whole life I have been surrounded by cuisine from different areas of the world (most prominently Italian). I am so excited to learn about the art of cuisine in Japan and share it with all of you here on this blog!

One food that I am looking forward to trying is imagawayaki, or sweet bean buns. Although all the food looks delicious, I have been wanting to try these for quite some time. I am a pescatarian, which essentially means I don't eat any meat except for seafood. I think it will be interesting to discover how accommodating street food is for those who have dietary specifications. I can't wait to share my research with all of you.

See you in Japan!
Francesca

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